Chapter 85

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"Introduce yourselves, your names, your best technique, or what you're strong at."

Yōichi spoke to the three subordinates in front of him, two women and a man, one of whom belonged to the Hyūga clan, likely from a branch family, as the main Hyūga family would certainly not entrust their teaching to an Uchiha like him.

He was supposed to get a report card from the academy teacher, which would surely list each student's strengths, but Uchiha Yōichi had forgotten about it, so he simply let them introduce themselves.

Hyūga Rumi, positioned at the far right, spoke up first, "My name is Hyūga Rumi, from the Hyūga branch family. I'm skilled in Gentle Fist, like sweet food, dislike sour and spicy food, and hope... hope to become stronger."

Kazuhito followed, "My name is Kazuhito. I'm skilled in throwing ninja tools because my father is a blacksmith, so I often played with ninja tools as a child. I like eating grilled meat, have no particular dislikes, and hope to become the Hokage of the Leaf Village."

When it was Kurenai's turn, she said, "My name is Yūhi Kurenai, skilled in genjutsu, like snacks such as takoyaki, don't really dislike anything, and hope to become a strong ninja like Lady Tsunade!"

After finishing, Kurenai inwardly sighed in relief, almost letting slip her dislike for cake; mentioning a dislike for cake right after her teammate expressed a fondness for sweet things could potentially cause misunderstanding.

After hearing the introductions, Yōichi tapped his fingers, noting that the Third Hokage's assignment made some sense.

One specialized in taijutsu, another in ninja tool throwing, and the last in genjutsu, which were all areas of his expertise.

"My name is Uchiha Yōichi, skilled in exactly what you're skilled in. I can only ensure you don't die in ninja missions or on the battlefield, and also, don't disobey my orders, unless you leave this team."

Yōichi spoke to the three in a calm tone, making it clear that being a ninja wasn't about fun and games, nor was he a childcare worker.

While he wouldn't make them kill immediately to grow, they weren't cut out to be ninjas if they couldn't prepare themselves for it within three months.

"It's still early today, let's take on two missions to warm up, try to complete them before dinner."

Saying this, Yōichi headed towards the Hokage Building.

Kurenai and the others were wide-eyed upon hearing this, exchanging glances before following him.

They all had a bad feeling, anticipating tough days ahead under Yōichi's guidance.

At the Hokage Building, Yōichi directly found the mission department. Normally, during this period just after the academy graduation, the Third Hokage would personally assign missions.

But with so much going on in Konoha, the Third Hokage didn't have time to manage these D and C rank missions.

"Let's see what D rank missions are available."

As Uchiha Yōichi finished speaking, the mission department ninja respectfully presented two scrolls, "Uchiha Yōichi, these are all the D rank missions available in the Leaf Village right now."

Seeing this interaction, Kurenai and the others exchanged looks, sensing the respect the mission department had for their Jōnin instructor.

"Let's go with this one."

Yōichi chose a mission to clean up river debris. He considered taking another but realized they might not all know how to walk on water, which could hinder completing even this one task, so he opted against taking on more.

After registering the mission, Yōichi led them to the mission site.

"Have any of you learned tree climbing and water surface walking?"

Yōichi suddenly asked Kurenai and Rumi, but all three shook their heads, with Kazuhito admitting, "Teacher, I can climb trees, just not too high."

Explaining it's a use of chakra for tree and water walking, Yōichi noted neither Kurenai nor Rumi had learned water walking.

Opting for on-the-spot training, especially for Kazuhito who was furthest behind, Yōichi warned that failure to learn within an hour might mean a bath in the sewage ditch, a prospect that sent shivers down all their spines.

Reaching a relatively clean drainage ditch in Konoha, Yōichi demonstrated water surface walking, explaining it involved continuously releasing chakra from the soles of the feet to counterbalance one's weight.

Despite the straightforward explanation, actual learning required hands-on practice, prompting a somewhat cold reminder from Yōichi about following his orders or facing the possibility of repeating a year at the academy.

Reluctantly, the trio approached the water's edge to try water surface walking, eager to avoid further schooling.

After several falls and continuous attempts, Kazuhito finally managed to stand on water, demonstrating the high standards set by the academy during wartime, pushing students to develop real combat skills through simulated war scenarios.

Once Kazuhito mastered water surface walking, he joined Kurenai and Rumi in cleaning the river debris, completing the D rank mission in two hours, though not without more falls due to inattention.

After completing the mission, Yōichi congratulated them, particularly advising Kazuhito to master tree climbing by evening, comparing its principle to water walking but simpler, dependent on one's weight for chakra adhesion.

Yōichi then offered a personal challenge, promising a reward of one million ryō to anyone who could successfully sneak attack him, regardless of the method, as long as it resulted in him sustaining even a minor injury.

This announcement left all three shocked, especially Rumi, who had never seen such an amount despite being from the prestigious Hyūga family.

Yōichi suggested they might find it easier to attack him while he was using a shadow clone the next day, then promptly left using the Body Flicker Technique, leaving the trio feeling overwhelmed and apprehensive about their future under such a demanding instructor.

Reflecting on the day's events, they dreaded the challenging times ahead but also recognized Yōichi's intent to foster their growth, albeit through a rigorous and exhausting process.

After submitting the mission report and receiving the team's compensation at the Hokage Building, Yōichi, unconcerned with the modest reward, planned to distribute it among them the following day.

On his way back, he encountered the newly formed Team Minato exiting a ramen shop and briefly interacted with them, maintaining his distance and leaving them somewhat puzzled by his solitary nature.

That evening, every newly graduated Genin returned home, grateful for not being sent back to the academy, a testament to the village's urgent need for ninjas due to the ongoing war, ensuring even those who might not meet their Jōnin instructors' expectations were given a chance to grow within the ninja corps instead.

Back at the Yūhi residence, Kurenai's father, a single parent and adept home cook, prepared dinner, surprised by his daughter's immediate need to shower upon returning home.

He learned of her strenuous day under Yōichi's strict guidance, including the unique challenge he posed to them, promising a significant reward for a successful sneak attack on him.

Recognizing Yōichi's name and reputation, he reassured Kurenai of the valuable learning opportunity under such a talented ninja, dismissing any negative rumors and encouraging her to embrace the chance to learn from one of the village's most capable ninjas.

(End of Chapter)